Filing system



R. J. WOOD FILING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 7,- 1921 Feb. 28, 1933;

2' Sheets-Sheet 2 may INFENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

nonimydi woonyoi' DAYTON;mq1 ssm1 gmmmmm m ma; oF';,nuFrALo-,-; j V i wi'Y mriA oo tronmiou onnnLAwAREi j Amilication flled iebrugry 'i,1921. :Serieli li'o: 443,209.;

inventionrelates to Card index systenis or filing systems wherein dataicards or sheets 5 I i l mentary front View of the top portionof one I, .e are arranged in predetermined groupslalphamade upon the cards eltherxliyhandwriting '1 betieally', numeric ally; or according to other arbitrary designations.

The objectiolflthe invention isto sirnpliiy 'suchsystems inexpensive,

I er'ation', oo'mpact, permitting a *vast-nuniber :card system to a numericalguidefsystem.

Figs; 6 and 7 illustrate modifications of the? hereby they Will not 1 only i be but will be" more eff cient in; op:-

of data sheets or cards to be arrangedin min readily aocessibleto enable the; desired card or sheet ,with mini-e mum space, selection of a I mum movement, and further adapted to ens;

ble :1 series of cards to be visiblefatthe same I I sja' detail View of an attachment strip, em-v time. t H

A further object ofithe inventionis to pro ide such 'a system her'einentriesmay be or bypassing the cards thru a 'ty'pewriter or calculating machine Without disconnecting or disarran in thefcards of a articular series.- r o A further. object of tne present nvention to provide ani arrangenient of Cards or data sheets, wherein particular card's maybe temporar ly indicated, vtabbed or flaggeQP' to distinguish such cards A further. object of theinuention isrto'pro afford exposed guide entrieson the overlapping portions of SUQCQSSIVQ sheets oikcurds,

[gWith the above primary and othjer inci-f "dental obj ects in viewv as will 1 more fully apthe'inventionleon features, of constru :tion, the parts and combinations thereof, thefarrangement of the cards, and themode of operation or their equivalents asihereinafter described andset; I x I e -psitionsof thedifierentletters oft'he alpha-- indieattedlo'yv dotted line inscriptions; 3 'inFigs; 21 and 2. 'Iflnis in thegillus'tration, Fig, "1, allfof the marines beginning'jwith"v Ca rnes,CarreyjCanby; etc., are

peer, in l the specification, sists o-fathe forth in the claims. it e V Referringto the drawings, 1 is a perspective View of a. series oifguide c'girdgfjof the first Order comprising familyilneme guides; and additional guidespertainingyto Q initials and 1n comuncti'on therewith aser lles @data vcards,

esters of reference v'iewsJ so it t v In the particular applicationof theinveni 'tion illustrated in.Fig;- 1 there is employed-a v [main guide card; libea-ring the initialj'o'fthe. efajnily name. Aisefparateidivision orxguide from othershof the -series,xwithout interfering with the selection of the cards; or obstructing the i iew of other sheets or cards.

in=overlztpping relation. Fig. 2 is a frag-f 7 [Of icairds removed fromfthe series. I 3v is a detail sectional View; of afgroup 70f; "Fig. 4 is a detail View of data sheet or card tq be interlockedWiththe'supillustrating the application of fthe present fporting'icard. 1 Fig.1 5 is a perspective view;

name guide index, Y Fi'g S discloses a modiplQyed inFig S. Fig, 10 is a vieivfofe ffiag'ging? or isign'alfsheet. Like; parts "are dieat throughout the several eardpi is employed for-Beach family mime-,2 y

dfby similar lcfh rinitial. .Thatis to setytthe guide cards l'vbear many the initialllist :of'fainilynames. In the i illustration the; initialrjC" 1 has been used for illustrative purposes and: family names beginning withiC 'willfbe associated-with "the: difli'erent' lettersfofythe alphabet/pr as; 1 I

thereof as are" necessary to, completethis initial -guide card-y These family names ar subdivided in aecordztnce with a second letter of thename,end'suchsub division being vindicated secondary guide cards 2. "These guide ,CardsQ are cut-outsle'h aving one upper corner preferably tl1e-upper left i handcofnerremovedbyangular line's suehl e out-rout portion ofeiehsucoeeding-cards-being of grea'ter extent whereby the; cut-out angles will overlap to expose the guide'letter's 1 carried by the cirdsbeneath. I Thusthe'guide cardsare arranged in echelon. The relative bet are "as-5' Cars, C

proper name is located by the first two letters thereof. Thus having located the section pertaining to the names beginning with C, the

name Charlton will be found associated with the-secondary card H, Intermediate each, of the secondary cards, is a third series of,

initial guide cards 3,. cut out in the same posethe sequence of letters'carried thereby.

' These cards are of less height than the primary and secondary guide cards land 2, and

when the series of cards comprising the file is opened at any selected point, there will be exposed this tertiary series of initial guides 3, pertaining to-the initial of the given name,

as Bifor Benjamin, Burton, Bess, J for Joseph, Janies, J0hn, etc. -Having located the family name beginning with Co, as Cor- ,ry, and desiring to locate the datasheet of Jeremiah P. Corry, reference is then had to the initial. guide J, of the series of initial cards associated with the letter O. Mounted upon this initial guide card 3, or on aseparate support card inserted in association with i the initial guide card 3, is a series'of individual data sheets or cards 4, arranged in overlapping relation, one with the other. As

shown in Fig. 1 these individual data cards are directly connected to one of the initial guide cards 8. The series of individual data sheets or cards-pertaining to those names of 'which the given name beg-ins with J V as" the. family name begins with Co, as J oh Collins,

James Conover, Jerry Conklin, etc, has" been selected for illustrative purposes. In the event that a large number of names having the same given iaine initialis encountered,

a duplicate support card 3 similarly ii1itialed, but of less height than the first initialed guide 3 is inserted in front of the first given-named-initialed guide card, as shown in'Fig'l. i j v The support card, whether the same coinprises the initial. guide card, or a separate support card associatedtherewith, is provided with two verticallyalined serieslof horizontal slots 5, arranged in spaced rela tion with each other. The individual data sheets or cards 4 have formedon their lower marginal edges projecting tongues 6 of an angular or L-shaped form, and oppositely disposed in relation with each other. The transverse extent of each of these tongues issubstantially equal to the lineal extent of the slot 5, While the distance, between the reentrant notches 7 of the respective tongues'is substantially equal to the distance. between the extreme ends of the aline'd slots. The

relation ofthesetongues and the slots in such that when the tongues 6 of any individual data sheet or card are thrust 'thru theoppoe nected to the'support. In order to insert the ofl'setor angular tongue 6 thru the slot 5, t is necessary to buckle or bend the data sheet somewhat to effect this ad iistinent.

The ,subse iient expansion ofthe sheet as it .1S returns to a hat condition projects the lapping relation as before described to. ex

angulartongues outwardly within the slots 5 into overlapping relation as shown by dotted-lines in Fig. 1. It will be understood that the slots 5are not only arranged in two 'seriesalin'ed vertically, but the slots of the respective series are oppositely disposed, or in alinemeiit with each other. The data sheets or cards 4 being of substantially equal size, the

engagement of a succession of such cards in the slots provided int-he support card, causes said cards to overla each other thereb e2;-

2 u i a l posing the upper margin of each card above the margin of the succeeding earl. In the arrangement as illustrated this exposed margin is utilized as an index surface on which to inscribe the name of the individual. The concealed portion of the data sheet or card maybe utilized for any desired entries pertaining to the individual whose name appears thereon, as is indicated at the bottom of Fig. 1. In lieu of entering the name or data upon the individual sheets or cards attached to the support card, these hinged leaves may be utilized merely as pockets or separating tongue 9, as indicated in Fig. 10 may be de posited between the successive individual :data sheets or cards, flexi ly mounted upon the support card, whereby such tongue 9 will be exposed above the succeeding card as shown in Fig. 1, thereby indicating by the color of such exposed card the particular in- I formation to be conveyed.

In the event that the data or record of the individual is to be entered directly upon the ndividual data sheets or cards a in lieu of separate or'independent cards deposited between such sheets or cards, entries may be made from time to time without disarranging'or disconnecting these data sheets from the support cards. By lifting the support card out of the'file or container, the individua'l data sheets being flexibly connected thereto may be opened at any desired point,

the overlying cards being turned in a reverse direction (as in Fig. 3) to a flat or parallel the laterally projecting extension of.

j ial guide cards 31 Whether such cards are employed as support cards forthe; individual be passed thru a typeu riter or calculating machine 'or v the necessary entry maybe conv eniently inscribed by'handwritinguflsuch a construction avoids the 'nece'ssity o f detaching the individual" card "for v posting; or mak- *ing entries thereon, and thereby obviates the 5 danger of disarrangement or *misplacement of the individual "cards of a 'series. The lini- 3 "datasheets 4 or merely asguidesgfor'inde- :pendent'support cards upon whighi h data sheets are carried, are prefer-ablylprovided at their lower margin With an area 10' to be separated therefrom in strips to afi'or'd inie tial guide cards of "lessiheight. e Whenever cards 4, pertaining thereto," or whenfisuch one'initial guideflcard will not conveniently contain all of the 'individualdata sheets or series of names having identicalrinitial char actersare arranged in more than one group; either directly upon the in1t1algu de card, or upon separatesuppo'rt" cafrd's; associated therewith, anadditional guide card. 3 is employed for each group, and is utilized by cutting off of the-bottom margin astrip from the area 10, suflicient to 'lovver the,lettered head of the card below the levelof the main series of the initial'gui'des Thus each du plicate middle initialguide Wlll'bfl "of less height than a preceding guide card of the same initial. Such a construction-has been shown in Fig. 1.v It Iwill'be understood,how-

ever, that such lowered orsub initial guide "will not be utilized until the regular finitial guidelicard has been filled with individual 'data'sheets or cards or until the initi'al'group of such individual cards has been'completed."

In Fig. 7 there is shOWn'Ea slightinodification of the applicationof the file wherein theiini- "tial gu'idelcard 1 contains not only the initial of the family name; buu'also' the second letter, 'While the secondary card 2 it carries the 1 third letter ofthername,fltheinitial of the given name being carried span the auxiliary dising establishments, each, article offmer chandise bears 'angindividual stock number, Likewise in large factories,itnot'infre; quent'that employees are known upon the records by a number, rather:than'by their,

card 3 as before described. e J

" In many instances, records are carrled enue merically. This is particularly true in recfactured parts and frequently in merchannames.

employed merely as pockets or greceiv'ers be- 'Associatedvvith each-iof thesevowelguides TIn adapting the present indexsystemio a numerical arrangement the individual data, sheets or cards as illustratedinfFig. 1 "are" 'cardsarejpreferably though not'nec'essarily arrangedYin group's of; tenfi Eachflcard of? arrangement is to provide ten of the hinged sheets or cards 4, thereby forming tenpockets r and providing in each pocket, iten numerical cards 11, whereby each supporticard will;

thereby},carry-ione hundred' individual nuj I merical fcards 11;- 'Thegroups ofcards are 'arrangedin multiplesof ten,;thus assuming forexample, that the groups 'of thecards disclosed in Fig. 5 comprise"the' cards"1200 to. I d p 1299; the cards in the' first'i'or-'loWerIn0st v inthecourse of operation, it is found thatpocket will comprise the cards numbers1200,

1201, 1202,--etc.-'-t0 and v includinggl209f. The

second" pocket ftvill ',contain the succeeding ten cards, beginning 1210 to and including;- 1219. The third pocket will comprisejthe succeeding ten] cards, numbered from 1220 to 1229. Inorder to locate theseg'roupsoffl cardsby hundreds, a series of guide cards 12 "1 100, 1500, etc. In order tor-locate the cards 1 by'thou'sands, aninitial or primary series of e a guide cards correspondingIto-the primary guide cardsl of Fig.1 may beiprovide'd bearing numerical designations; by thousands, as

'10000,'"11000,'12000, 13000,;etc. Bys'ele'cting I zany support'ca'rd Whether-the same is used'as a guidecard'for hundreds or is an ind ependent support card associated with such guide ffcard, an entire group of one hundred-indi-; I 1 vidual numerical cards Willatoncebe 'visible,l-

and the particular card esired is'easilyfse lected'in itsnumer calsequence i It Will'be obvious that'by the arrangement H of ,cardsrheretofore' described, either alphabetically' "or numerically," whereby entire'?* m f groups-of'cardsare visible simultaneously, 1 much greater speed can be achieved in the selection of a {particular card than here,

- such cardsare exposed's'ingly, and must be fingered 5 over in orderto find the particular feard of the group which maybe desired "1 ords'lof stock in a factory, or records ofmanu- As a fu'rther'iai'd to locatingindividual': I I

icards of a large series}quickly, the entire] seriesf'fnay be divided'according to 'voWels,-'{as 1 .shown in the jmodificationFigh 6. In thief-" instance in lieu of the familyname initiahas 3 T e1nployedf-in;Fig. 1, the first-voivelof the name Will'be util'i'zedas A,,E',I,'O,.U and Y;

Will be a "series' of alphabetical guide cards of which the eonsonantfcards Will-beimost' used, but in someinstances the vowels will "be employed asja'secondaryguide; Inthe'pifeftween which are deposited numerical cards, as is illustrated: in Fig.1 5. These numerical erable arrangement the associate alphabeti-f the first vowel of the name. In this arrangement, the name is located phoneticallyby the predominating vowel and consonant or double vowel sound. The third series of guide cards," in this instance, corresponding to the cards 3 of'the disclosure of Fig. 1, in lieu of representinginitials of the given name will comprise the initials of the last or family name. In using such an arrangement to locate thecard pertaining to an individual named Allen, reference will be made to. the vowel group A, and thence in such group to the guide referencecard L, inasmuch as the AL is the predominating sound of the word. On this card L or a support card associated therewith will be found the individual cards, not only of Allen, but of a number of other nameshaving the same predominating phonetic character, asfor instance, Allison, Alloy, Almire. Alread, etc. In such case it is not necessary to refer to the third series of cards, since'A is both the first and predominating voweland also the initial letter. 8 However, if the name should be Cahill, A

being the first vowel, reference will beimade to the A group, and thence to the H as succeeding consonant sound, whereupon in the third orsub-grou of guide letters, reference will be made to as the initial letter of the family name, thus locating on such sub guide card or support card the name Cahill.

In a large series of cards, divided alphabetically according to the initial of the family name, as indicated in Fig. 1, the various letter groups will be found of diiferent extent-throughout a very wide range. Some :of these groups will be quite large, andothers quite small. A grouping according to vow els .as indicated in Fig. 6 will afford a more equalized division of the series and facilitate more rapid allocationof the individualcards desired. It will be understood that inthe construction shown in Fig. 6 the same arrangement of interconnected hinged leaves, or individual cards used directly as data sheets or as pockets or receivers to hold data sheets deposited therebehind will be employed. InFi g. 7 there is shown a further modification, wherein the primary guide card is shown carrying the first two letters of the family name, the third letter of which appears upon one of the secondary cards, the arrangement and relation of the cards being otherwise substantially the same as before described.

Under the present conditions, it may be desirable to insertonelormore data sheets between the successive sheets of a'group in order to maintain apredetermined sequence or succession of names, ar-tlcles or other data. 1

7 In the construction shown in Fig. 1 this can only be done by disconnecting the data sheets .01 cards following the point-of insertion, and

reconnecting them in .a lower slot or opening 5. In order to overcome this difiiculty and -enable the insertion of additional cards or data sheets atany desired point in the group or series, without the necessity of disconnecting and reconnecting one or more of the sheets, there has been shown in Fig. 8, a modi fication in which the data sheets or cards are slidably connected with thesupport. In this construction, the support card 14 is provided with a series of parallel incisions, dividing the lower portion of the support cardinto a 7 plurality of flexiblestrips 15. These strips are integral with the support card 14, and intel-connected at their ends. To protect the card against being torn,;the upper and lower edges of the card are preferably, though not B necessarily, rte-enforced by being folded or provided with a binding member as at 16. A series of sliding attachment strips or needles 17 having therein slots or openings 18 correslwllding to the openings 5 before de-' .8

extending ver and the next one under, par-W0 ticular strips15 of the series. The slotted openings 18 inthe needles or quills are located i'nspaced relation agreeing with the tongues 6 of the datasheets or cards 4. The

cards or. sheets 4 are engaged with the .quills9 or strips 17, by thrusting the hooked-shaped tongues 6 thru the slots 18, 11st as such cards or sheets are interconnected with the support card or mounting shown in Fig. 1.

When so interconnected, the hooked tonguexi 6 prevents the strips or quills 17 from being ;disengage,dlongitudinally from the mount or support 14, yet the-card and its attachment quill or strip 17 may be slidingly adjusted within the limits of the incisions forming .1

parallelfiexible strips 15.

In this arrangement, in the event it is de' sired to insert an additional data, sheet or cardiit is only necessary to separate the group ,of cardsor sheets by sliding the selectedpon" .110

tion thereof apart, and inserting between such divided portions oft-the group or series, an additional strip or quill 17, by interlacing it under the succeeding parallel flexible strips 15, integral with the mounting 14, and there 1 after interlocking the card or data sheet 4 by engaging the hooked tongues 6 within theslots 18 of such inserted attachment strip or quill 17. This same construction also per- .mits theready removal of the data sheets and p the readjustment of the remaining cards so that no vacancy is apparent in the succession orser-ies.

In practice, it has been found expedient and desirable to form the mount or support 14 from sheet-metal and to provide therein only two parallel incisions corresponding to the outermost incisions of Fig. 8. Thus the mount is di vided into three portions. The

,quills or needles are all inserted in the same having thereinspaced 'alin'edslota-a leafto c be detachably engaged-therewith; oppositely i disposed marginal L shaped'ftongues upon l saidleaf to be extended thru the alined slots" of the support member, theslots and tongues a lateral portions of the L shaped-t0nguesvvil1lextend beyond the endsof the engagedslotsg 2. A detachable hinge connection for sheets '5 comprising a sheet having;therein spaced the space occupied thereby is materially re duced. In practice, one hundredsuch sheets -carried by a singlesupport as in F ig.';5,v

-,occupy less than half inch ofspacei The sheets andzcards areselected by inserting beihind the overlying'cards and}, sheets authilii bladed selecting implement, "knifeblade; or ihspatula. c

a Havingthus described'fmy invention, I

claim: I g 1 In a ,filingsystem, asupport, member being so spaced that when 'interengaged the alined slots, a second "sheet having marginal 3 5- tongues in spaced relation difierent fromthe spaced "relation of the slotsi-said tongues having oppositely disposed'lateral notches theree] l interminating in 1 spaced 'relation substantially coincident with? the spacedrelat'ion of I 4;theends of the slots; such tongues being fen rality ofdetachableleaves;eachjhavingmar- I A p v groups, jotcards;eachfgroup. being so (formed gageable 'Within the slots vwith "such lateral notches st-radd'lingthe.oppositegends iofthe- V H c 1 1 spacediintervals i'forfirelative to 'jand frof swinging; motion. in'--overl;appingf relation; c 5 with each other; said leaves,beingicapablei of f respective slots 3. In a filingsyste each series oppositelyi disposedyand a? p111 w gin'al spaced tongues insertableithruthebp 6"? .tory movementpto and ifrom ,the support" "Wherebyjthe reference *cardsgwill be ,posi-t 5 0 esitelydisposedslots ofthe respective series,

each tongue havingan oifset' portionfextendengaged therewith 1 d inglaterally beyond the end oftheslot when r c i gi groupbeing separateand detachedvfro n each l other and also' from said common support; a j

c 4.111 a card index liling systeni, aseries' I p I seriesfofjfiaps hinged to' said COminon supof support cards,having slotsthereinanda pluralityof reference cards ,as sociated vvith each support card andton rues: on the referg ence cards having interlocking "engagement;

in the slotsof the suppo'rt cards for oscilla' tioned in overlapping relation: thereoni v V 5. In" a card index filingsystein;a support ii w card, a plurality'of upturnedureferencecards firfiassOciated therewith and :toriningv aseries'of 1 to 7.;Ina fil ng device having a compartment there n, a; series of support -cards', i, arranged f a e 3 a support -inember", 451:11e nsthe i plu la of parallel-slots arranged" in two alined' series-fwith'c slotsfof T, pocketstoreceive additional datasheets'andx; meansiordetachably engaging said"upturned' referencefcards independently atydiiferent space.delevations upon said support card separate spaced relation-one fromfianother', V,

wherebyvthe margins ot the referencecards v ii l-pi fl c n upon 16 c i i iryInaL-card indez; filing syste masupportf v card,i-a' 'series.of overlappingauxihary sup: I v j port cards independently engaged therewith in separated spacedrelation vWith each other: and series of overlapping leavesinterposed; between I theseveral auxiliary support cards and {supported thereby at difl'erent' spaced 80 one behind fanother v in said i compartme nt; a I

series of independent relatively movable upturned leaves, the support cards wand leaves, being formed for detachable interlocking en-i gageinenteoftheleaveswiththesupportcards r at different elevations for relative swinging".

movement, said-leaves f'olrin'in'g thereb'etwen,

sheets.',. a 4

In ,alcard indeir tiling whereby'l s'ai d auxiliaryicardsiare :hing edf I theretoliat vertic'allyfspaced :intervals.,for to I and-fro swinging niotionirelative'to support andiform; a. succession iof overlapping cards to receive datagsheetsrg 10o I adjustablefpockets intermediate the auxiliary I ".9. A11indexjaevieeeom rising;fa ub-135R? e, card; a plurality: of leaves; the support" card and leaves 'beingooformed; to afford. interlock :ing :hinge .cljoints by which the leaves: are I i it hinged std the support card," at verti'ca11y I being oldedto substailtiala parallelism I thes'upport cardq:

1o. ;I1 ;ai card. index eaazaipam of back indefifa support cominon tothe-plura1 ityof Igroups the; cards comprising, each 1 port, at spaced intervals-each groupi ofcards 7 J beinggiapositioned behind and supportedlby; one i. of said naps; the oards of the severa-l i new e ng arr e po Qmn n1 support in: vertically overlapped relation so; I 1 that the ind iceS ,@Ie Simultaneously visible g; -the hdrizontal succession of guide, characters a c upon the.exposedgportions of the cards- 0f each 'g'r'oup' obeing ofiset in spaced relation agreeing their positionsein' a p'redete'randfinarked at one edge was to provide acut-,, 5 i I Y mined' sequence, with I guide characters? of different groups having common characteristics disposed in vlsible vertical serleszupon the exposed portions of corresponding cards of the different groups.

11; In a card index system, a pluralityofi groups of cards, each group being so formed;

and marked at one edge as to provide acutback index, a main support common to'the 1 plurality of'groups, a plurality of auxiliary supports, one for each group, hinged to the main support in vertically spaced relation, the several groups being arranged thereon to overlap so that the indices are simultaneously visible, the horizontal succession of guide characters upon the exposed portions eing offset'ln of the cards of each group spaced relation agreeing with their positions s in a predetermined sequence. 7

12. In a file, having a compartment, plurality of support cards vertically arranged therein, 'a plurality of upwardly extendingleaves mounted on each supportcard andary ranged in overlapping ofisetrelation thereon with one inargin of each in visiblerelation,

said leaves having swinging movement relative to each other and said support cards,said

leaves providing a plurality of pockets for loosely receiving data sheets, said support cards normally cooperatingiwith each other to retain the pockets in closed position.

13. In a filing'device having a coinpait ment therein, a plurality of support-cards mounted in said compartment in substantiallyverticalposition, a plurality of upwardly extendingleaves. mounted on each support card arranged in overlapping oflset relation thereon withone margin of each in visible relation, each leaf being hinged relative to its support card, said leaves forming therebetween a series of overlapping pockets adapted to receive data sheets, support cards in normalposltlo'n in said container bev 2 ing in adjacent parallel relation with the mam r pockets thereon maintained in closed posiQ tion by adjacent support cards,:the leaves on one support card being released for-gravitational hinging movement whensuch support card is 'moved relative an adjacent support card to form a space therebetween.

14. A filing device comprising a support card formed with a plurality of substantially parallel incisions providing thereon a plural= V ity of connected strips, a plurality of overlapping leaves, a serles of bars mounted on the support card, alternatebars in SZLlClSBIlGS being mounted on said card having common end portions arranged on one face of the card and other portions threaded under certain strips andover certain other 'ofsaid strips of :said card, the remainingbars having similar end portions arranged on the opposite face of the card and other portions threaded over 7 allof the strips, and detachable hinge con nections between the bars and'theleaves. 

